Juventus' Gianluigi Buffon Has to 'Thank Life' for Not Winning Champions League

Gianluigi Buffon doesn't get angry when he thinks about never having won the UEFA Champions League. Instead, the Juventus goalkeeper is thankful to have a worthy reason for prolonging his career in a quest to finally claim the famous trophy.

Buffon, 41, discussed what the pursuit of Europe's most prestigious club prize means to him, per Goal's Peter Lynch: "For me it's a huge stimulus and I have to thank life for not letting me win (the Champions League) yet, otherwise I would ask myself why I still play."

The veteran keeper also explained what role he can expect to play in Juve's European campaign this season: "It is great to be still in the running and try again, but there is no agreement on playing at least one game in Europe in the season, we are at Juventus and not in an amateur club, I play when I am called in by the coach."

Playing time is a tangible issue for a player in the winter of his career. Buffon was an unused substitute when the Bianconeri drew with Atletico Madrid away from home in the first game of Group D recently.

It's a role he is likely to fulfill once again for Tuesday's game at home to Bayer Leverkusen. Buffon started the 2-0 win over SPAL in Serie A, while Wojciech Szczesny watched from the bench.

Former Arsenal keeper Szczesny has replaced Buffon as Juve's main man between the sticks. Even so, the latter's experience could prove crucial in the competition for a squad built to win.

Juventus boss Maurizio Sarri is counting on 34-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo and Gonzalo Higuain, 31, for goals up top, while the defence is still underpinned by the savvy of 32-year-old Leonardo Bonucci.

Juve couldn't get past Ajax in the quarter-finals last season, but key additions have been made to help refresh the core group. Specifically, the arrivals of midfielders Aaron Ramsey and Adrien Rabiot on free transfers have added energy, creativity and a greater goal threat from the heart of the engine room.

This may be Juve's best chance of winning the Champions League for the first time since 1996. Buffon will hope to a key part of a winning effort to help erase some painful memories in the competition.

He was between the sticks for a penalty shoot-out to decide the 2003 final, with AC Milan's Andriy Shevchenko putting the decisive spot-kick past him. Juve and Buffon were well-beaten by Barcelona in 2015 and again by Real Madrid two years later.

Arguably his most-memorable Champions League moment came when he criticised Michael Oliver after the referee had awarded Real a penalty late in the quarter-final second leg in 2018.

Ronaldo scored to send the Bianconeri packing, prompting Buffon to say Oliver "had a bag of rubbish" instead of a heart, words that earned him a three-match ban.

It looked like being Buffon's last foray into the Champions League with Juve when he moved to Paris Saint-Germain the same summer. Now back in Turin, one of the best of his generation remains focused on filling the glaring omission on his club CV.